Daqin arrests alchemists, what does it matter to me as a qi refiner?

The stall owner's eyes lit up: "Young master, you have good taste! If you're interested, the price is negotiable."

At this moment, the elegantly dressed young man strode over and said, "I want these spirit stones!" He then tossed out his money pouch.

Ying Zheng, however, snatched the spirit stone first: "You cannot take this!"

"Insolence!" The young master angrily drew his sword. The spirit fox suddenly transformed into a white rainbow and bit his wrist, causing the young master to cry out in pain and drop his sword. Taking advantage of this moment, the three of them quickly escaped.

Arriving at a secluded forest, Ying Zheng placed the spirit stone in front of the spirit fox: "To aid your cultivation." The spirit fox closed its eyes and concentrated, beginning to absorb the spiritual energy of the spirit stone.

Suddenly, a chilling wind swept through the forest, and the man in black appeared: "I've finally found you!"

A fierce battle was about to break out. The man in black, with his unpredictable movements, gradually gained the upper hand. Just when things were at their most critical, the ethereal sound of a flute rang out, and the man in black froze in his tracks.

A fairy in white robes, holding a flute, emerged from the forest, her flowing garments ethereal and otherworldly. "An envoy from the celestial realm has come to protect the spirit fox." With a gentle wave of her hand, a holy light sent the man in black flying several feet away.

The man in black turned pale with horror: "Who...who are you?"

Ying Zheng and Bai Ze were overjoyed at the sight, knowing that the white-clad fairy had come to their aid. They immediately bowed to the fairy in white, expressing their gratitude: "Thank you for your help, fairy!"

The white-clad fairy smiled gently: "No need for formalities. I am also here on the orders of the Celestial Realm to protect the Nine-Tailed Fox. You have done a good job, ensuring the Nine-Tailed Fox was not harmed." She then slowly walked to the Nine-Tailed Fox's side, gently stroking its fur. "Little one, rest assured, with us here, we will never let you suffer even the slightest harm."

The nine-tailed spirit fox seemed to understand the words of the white-clad fairy. It opened its eyes, glanced at her, and then closed them again to continue its cultivation.

Witnessing this scene, Ying Zheng and Bai Ze felt greatly relieved and reassured. They knew that with the addition of the white-clad fairy, their team's strength would undoubtedly increase, giving them even greater confidence in protecting the Nine-Tailed Fox. In the days that followed, they devoted themselves to cultivation in the forest, patiently awaiting the day the Nine-Tailed Fox would achieve its goal.
In the time that followed, Ying Zheng, Bai Ze, and the white-clad fairy jointly protected the nine-tailed spirit fox. They found a secluded cave in the forest as a temporary training ground. They took turns cultivating and guarding the area daily to ensure the nine-tailed spirit fox's safety.

The white-clad fairy, named Su'e, was not only highly skilled in cultivation but also possessed a pure and kind heart. She often guided Ying Zheng and Bai Ze in their cultivation. Under her meticulous guidance, both of them made significant progress in their cultivation.

That day, Ying Zheng was on guard outside the cave when he suddenly heard a faint sound of footsteps. He immediately gripped his sword, ready to fight. However, when he saw the face of the person who approached, he was stunned.

"It's you?" Ying Zheng asked in surprise. The person who came was indeed the noble young master, but now he was dressed in simple clothes and looked a little disheveled.

When the noble young man saw Ying Zheng, a flicker of fear crossed his eyes, but he quickly concealed it. He forced a smile and said, "I...I wish to discuss important matters with you all."

Ying Zheng frowned slightly, unsure of their intentions. However, he knew he couldn't trust anyone at this time, so he coldly said, "We have nothing to say to you. Please leave."

The wealthy young man said urgently, "Wait! I have something important to tell you!" He glanced around to make sure no one was following him, then lowered his voice and said, "I know the secrets of that mysterious organization!"

Ying Zheng's heart stirred slightly upon hearing this. He understood that since the other party had spoken in this way, they must possess some inside information unknown to them. Therefore, he gestured for the noble young master to enter the cave for a detailed discussion. Inside the cave, the noble young master revealed the true schemes of the mysterious organization to Ying Zheng and the others. It turned out that the organization had been searching for the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox, intending to use its power to open a passage to the Immortal Realm, thereby seizing its treasures and resources.

"They've been planning this for a long time, and now they only need the power of the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox to succeed," the noble young man said. "I know about their plan because my father is one of the high-ranking members of this mysterious organization. But I don't approve of their actions, so I came to tell you."

Ying Zheng and the others were shocked upon hearing this. They never imagined that the mysterious organization's ambitions were so vast, even attempting to open a passage to the Immortal Realm. This made them feel an unprecedented sense of crisis.

"What should we do now?" Bai Ze asked. "If they succeed, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Ying Zheng took a deep breath, his gaze resolute, and said, "We must not let them succeed. We must protect the Nine-Tailed Fox and at the same time find a way to thwart their plans."

The wealthy young man nodded and said, "I am willing to lend you all a hand. I know many of their secrets, which may help me devise a countermeasure."

In the days that followed, Ying Zheng, Bai Ze, Su'e, and the noble young master Hua Gui discussed countermeasures. Based on the intelligence provided by the noble young master Hua Gui, they devised a detailed plan to thwart the ambitions of the mysterious organization.

However, just as they were discussing, a commotion suddenly arose from the forest. Immediately afterwards, a group of men in black appeared uninvited and barged into the cave.

"Finally found you!" the leader of the men in black sneered. "Hand over the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox, or don't blame us for being ruthless!"

Upon seeing this, Ying Zheng and the others immediately drew their swords to meet the attack. Just then, the nine-tailed spirit fox suddenly let out a shrill cry, its body transforming into a streak of white light as it pounced on the man in black. Its speed was so great that it reached the man in black in an instant, biting down on his throat.

"Ah!" the man in black cried out in pain and fell to the ground. The other men in black were all terrified at the sight; they never expected that this seemingly docile little beast would possess such strength.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Ying Zheng and his men launched an offensive, repelling all the men in black. However, they understood that this was merely a probing attack by the mysterious organization, and that even fiercer attacks were inevitable to follow.

"We must implement the plan as soon as possible," Ying Zheng said. "Otherwise, if they attack again, we may not be able to withstand it."

In the days that followed, Ying Zheng and his entourage worked diligently to execute their plan. With the help of intelligence provided by the noble young master, they successfully infiltrated the mysterious organization's base and destroyed the device that opened the passage to the immortal realm.

Enraged that their plan had been thwarted, the mysterious organization immediately dispatched a large number of experts to hunt down Ying Zheng and his companions. However, Ying Zheng and his group were prepared and, with the help of the complex terrain of the forest and the Nine-Tailed Fox, successfully evaded their pursuit.

After escaping danger, Ying Zheng and the others returned to the cave. Seeing the Nine-Tailed Fox unharmed, they were all relieved and delighted. They knew that their success in thwarting the mysterious organization's plan was largely due to the Nine-Tailed Fox's invaluable assistance.

The nine-tailed fox seemed to sense everyone's joy, gently swaying its tail before closing its eyes and continuing its cultivation.

In the days that followed, Ying Zheng and the others continued to protect the Nine-Tailed Fox and intensified their own cultivation. They understood that although they had successfully thwarted the mysterious organization's plan this time, they would inevitably face more challenges and dangers in the future. Therefore, they had to continuously improve their strength in order to better protect the Nine-Tailed Fox and meet the trials to come. (End of Chapter)